Netherlands Antilles NGOs face funding crisis
02-17-2006
by Nikola Lashley
Caribbean Net News Curacao Correspondent
Email: nikola@caribbeannetnews.com
CURACAO, Netherlands Antilles: The Dutch government has described the handling of AMFO's (Antillean Co Financing Organisation) accounting as "jiggery-pokery" and confirmed that an annual budget of 9.5 million euros (US$11.2m) has been suspended until all monies given to AMFO could be properly accounted for.
AMFO is responsible for distributing funds for social projects designed to alleviate poverty and promote culture, throughout the Antilles, which also includes providing money for school meals for the islands' poorest children.
The problem for Holland is that AMFO's directors are appointed by project organisations on each of the 5 islands, known as "Platforms" and so cannot be held accountable to the Dutch Government and, although their bookkeeping is questionable, the individuals who form the supervisory board are beyond reproach and can be neither fired nor suspended.
The current structure of how the funds are distributed to the NGOs in the region was created four years ago and it was decided that the then 1,000 plus NGOs who were requesting financial support directly from Holland should be consolidated into independently run "Platforms".
These Platform companies fall under the supervisory control of AMFO, who in turn would approve necessary funds for the various project proposals.
Holland has now demanded that an emergency operational audit be carried out of AMFO's bookkeeping prior to releasing more funds, as well as the total reorganisation of AMFO's current management board that is directly responsible for the current lack of financial control.
It is considered by the Dutch government, given AMFO's uncertain position, that this entire process is likely to take some time. But the victims of this financial debacle are the islands' neediest groups.
Catering companies providing school meals say the situation for them is desperate, as there is only sufficient funding for the next four weeks. This was confirmed by Curacao's Platform manager Mr Doran.
If money is not made available, the kitchens will be unable to supply hot school meals for its poorest children and many other projects including youth programmes, and services for the elderly will simply fold.
When questioned about Holland's moral obligation to continue to fund these small projects, their representative, who asked not to be named, hinted at the possibility of temporarily by-passing AMFO by working in collaboration with an intermediary management team, to temporally fund existing projects, but stopped short of making any promises about the future of the projects involved.
The representative added that Mr Pechthold, the Antillean interior minister in Holland, could not jeopardise his political position for what clearly would appear as unlawful support of AMFO's financial ineptitude.
02-17-2006
by Nikola Lashley
Caribbean Net News Curacao Correspondent
Email: nikola@caribbeannetnews.com
CURACAO, Netherlands Antilles: The Dutch government has described the handling of AMFO's (Antillean Co Financing Organisation) accounting as "jiggery-pokery" and confirmed that an annual budget of 9.5 million euros (US$11.2m) has been suspended until all monies given to AMFO could be properly accounted for.
AMFO is responsible for distributing funds for social projects designed to alleviate poverty and promote culture, throughout the Antilles, which also includes providing money for school meals for the islands' poorest children.
The problem for Holland is that AMFO's directors are appointed by project organisations on each of the 5 islands, known as "Platforms" and so cannot be held accountable to the Dutch Government and, although their bookkeeping is questionable, the individuals who form the supervisory board are beyond reproach and can be neither fired nor suspended.
The current structure of how the funds are distributed to the NGOs in the region was created four years ago and it was decided that the then 1,000 plus NGOs who were requesting financial support directly from Holland should be consolidated into independently run "Platforms".
These Platform companies fall under the supervisory control of AMFO, who in turn would approve necessary funds for the various project proposals.
Holland has now demanded that an emergency operational audit be carried out of AMFO's bookkeeping prior to releasing more funds, as well as the total reorganisation of AMFO's current management board that is directly responsible for the current lack of financial control.
It is considered by the Dutch government, given AMFO's uncertain position, that this entire process is likely to take some time. But the victims of this financial debacle are the islands' neediest groups.
Catering companies providing school meals say the situation for them is desperate, as there is only sufficient funding for the next four weeks. This was confirmed by Curacao's Platform manager Mr Doran.
If money is not made available, the kitchens will be unable to supply hot school meals for its poorest children and many other projects including youth programmes, and services for the elderly will simply fold.
When questioned about Holland's moral obligation to continue to fund these small projects, their representative, who asked not to be named, hinted at the possibility of temporarily by-passing AMFO by working in collaboration with an intermediary management team, to temporally fund existing projects, but stopped short of making any promises about the future of the projects involved.
The representative added that Mr Pechthold, the Antillean interior minister in Holland, could not jeopardise his political position for what clearly would appear as unlawful support of AMFO's financial ineptitude.
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